An electrical receptacle connector is a fitting connected to an electrical cable and adapted to receive a plug. The cable may carry electric power or may include one or more conductors carrying electrical signals. Sometimes the receptacle connector is attached to an electrical panel member. When employed in a harsh environment, large forces may be applied to the receptacle connector which may result in loosening or separation of the cable from the receptacle connector and loss of power or electrical signals. To deal with these large forces, some connectors are provided with high strength materials. One form that these high strength materials take is known as Kevlar. Kevlar as a para-aramid synthetic fiber having high strength. Kevlar is typically spun into ropes or fabric sheets, or it may be used as an ingredient in composite material components. Kevlar exhibits a high tensile strength-to-weight ratio and is said to be five times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis. However, on a space, or volume, basis, a substantially greater amount of Kevlar is required to provide the same strength as steel. Thus, where space is at a premium, such as in the area of electrical connectors and components, Kevlar's applications are somewhat limited. In addition, because Kevlar typically is comprised of a large number of individual strands of different lengths, the cumulative effect of all of the strands is not realized along the entire length of an elongated Kevlar member such as an electrical cable and connector assembly and the strength exhibited by Kevlar in this environment is limited. In addition, Kevlar strands are typically secured to another member by tying which is impractical in the small dimension environment of electrical connectors.
The present invention is intended to provide a high strength electrical receptacle connector capable of operating in harsh duty environments where tension values as high as 300 pounds may be encountered.